Flu Suggestions, Reminders & FAQs

After I sent out the Flu Updates email and posted it as a note on Facebook earlier this year I received a fair number of comments and questions … here are a few suggestions and reminders. Paul Herscu has written a brilliantly helpful blog posting on this years flu and the remedies that have worked for his patients.

The CDC map is still the accurate one for tracking the flu across the states in the US.

This year’s flu vaccine isn’t very effective. For those who are on the fence about taking it you’ll want to consider this when weighing up the risks vs. the benefits.

The wet sock treatment (a naturopathic classic) has been recommended by more than a few of you and works like a charm for some. If your patient needs Hepar sulph or Nux vomica or Silica etc. (i.e. any of the super chilly remedies) you probably want to think twice about suggesting it.

Here’s my big flu article again just in case you missed it. The charts are especially helpful.

You can now purchase Influenzinum and Thymuline together. Use this code when checking out and you’ll receive a 10% discount: MC2017 (valid till November 30, 2017). My previous blog posting discusses how and when to use them.

FAQs

Q. Which size of pill should I order? A. The size of the pill really doesn’t matter. Whichever you prefer is my most frequent response. Some people like the little poppy seed granules (#10 and #15 are pretty much the same size). Some people prefer the larger pilules (#25) and others like the largest ones (#40). It’s up to you!

The poppy seed granules are probably better for your teeth because they dissolve faster so you won’t have the sugars lingering in your mouth for as long.

Q. What is Influenzinum made from? A. In the US there’s only one remedy that is approved by the HPUS (Homeopathic Pharmacopœia of the United States). It is required to be made fresh each year from from the current year’s flu vaccine.

Some homeopathic pharmacies/companies have specific flu strains in potency i.e. the 1918/19 Spanish flu, the 1957 Asian flu, the 1968/69 Hong Kong flu and the 1976 Swine flu, or some influenzinums from previous years. These remedies are usually beyond the scope of the home prescriber.

Q. Is a new Influenzinum made each and every year? A. Mostly Influenzinum is made fresh each year. However, if the flu vaccine doesn’t change (some years it does not) then the homeopathic remedy doesn’t change either.

Q. Will last year’s Influenzinum work or do I need to buy it anew each year. A. My experience is that last year’s Influenzinum works just fine – or any year’s for that matter. This is because in homeopathy it is the ‘similar’ remedy that works not the exact same one. It is a bit confusing to be making the remedy fresh each year and although it makes logical sense, homeopathically it doesn’t really matter.

Q. My health suffered after a bad bout of the flu a few years ago. Will Influenzinum help me? A. It might help – but please bear in mind that it is only one of many remedies for people who have “never been well since a bad bout of the flu.” If it doesn’t help then you will need a homeopath to work up a better remedy based on your whole symptom picture that including taking any inherited weaknesses into account.

Q. You recommend 9C but my homeopath says 200C is better? A. I always recommend home prescribers stick with the lower potencies. They are super-safe. Your own homeopath may recommend a higher potency and you should, of course, follow their recommendation. Typically the higher potencies are not repeated as often. You wouldn’t want to take a 30C or 200C more often than once a month.

Q. I have taken Influenzinum 30C (or a 200C) as a preventative – should I stick with it or go down to the 9C as per your recommendations? A. It’s best to stick with the 30C or the 200C if you have started with either of these potencies. For this year.

Q. Can I give Influenzinum to my mother – she had a bad reaction to the flu vaccine? And if so in which potency? A. Yes you can give her a few doses of Influenzinum 30C. If it doesn’t help she’ll need a homeopath to work up her whole symptom picture carefully. It’s worth bearing in mind that some of the cases of guillaume barre syndrome as a result of the H1N1 flu vaccine surfaced 90 days after the vaccine. Because of this I might give a few doses of Influenzinum 30C routinely to anyone who has the flu vaccine.

Q. The Oscillococcinum directions say to take it every 6 hours but my homeopath recommends repeating it every 2-3 hours. What should I do? A. If your symptoms are coming on fairly slowly then every 6 hours is fine. If you are getting sick quickly then taking it more frequently makes more sense.

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